DeSantis Support Shifts to New Super PACs Amid Campaign Tumult

Stephanie Lai, Gregory Korte and Bill Allison
·3 min read
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(Bloomberg) -- Two new super PACs allied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis booked more than $8 million in advertisements in recent weeks to boost his presidential bid, as Never Back Down, the group that has been supporting his campaign for months, pulls back ad spending amid internal turmoil.

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DeSantis allies have shifted responsibility for advertising to Fight Right from Never Back Down after a series of departures from top officials. Fight Right is a relatively new super PAC formed by Florida-based lobbyists and DeSantis advisers. Good Fight, another super PAC supporting DeSantis, also registered with the Federal Election Commission this week.

Never Back Down canceled $2.6 million in ad spending on Friday, according to data from AdImpact, a company that tracks political ad spending. It spent about $40 million in TV advertisements from the start of the campaign.

In its place, Fight Right has placed $7.7 million in advertisements opposing Nikki Haley, who’s fighting with DeSantis for second place in the Republican primary, according to AdImpact. The organization will book more than $2.5 million in additional ads ahead of the Iowa caucus starting on Sunday, according to spokesperson Taryn Fenske.

Good Fight has reserved more than $800,000 in pro-DeSantis advertising, according to AdImpact. A spokesman for the group did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

People in DeSantis’ orbit have been unhappy with the way Never Back Down had attacked Haley and wanted more control over that messaging. DeSantis and Haley both trail frontrunner Donald Trump by a wide margin in polls.

Never Back Down has been severely weakened in the past month, with the departure of several top officials and strategists including well-known political operative Jeff Roe.

In another blow to Roe, the new super PACs aren’t using his firm AxMedia to buy the advertisements, as Never Back Down had done.

Never Back Down chairman Scott Wagner said in a statement the organization is focused on running its grassroots and political caucus operation.

“We are thrilled to have Fight Right and others covering the air for Governor DeSantis while we work the ground game in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and beyond,” Wagner said.

A Fight Right ad set to run on cable and broadcast on Sunday that was shared with Bloomberg News attacks Haley, claiming that she “pretends to be tough on China” and stated that “Nikki talks about Chinese indoctrination, but as governor she let Confucius Institutes push propaganda on college campuses.”

The Good Fight advertisements will begin airing on Dec. 25. Both Good Fight and Fight Right share the same compliance firm and use the same ad buyer, Digital Media Placement Services.

The Good Fight name reflects a line that appeared in an interview with the Florida governor.

“I’m somebody that has fought the good fight on behalf of conservative voters,” DeSantis told Iowa PBS on Dec. 8.

While it has contracted its scope of work, Never Back Down continues to be the largest super PAC bankrolling any candidate this cycle. FEC records show it raised $130.6 million and ended June with $96.8 million cash on hand. But most of its money, some $82.5 million, was raised for DeSantis’ 2022 gubernatorial campaign, not for his presidential run.

Many donors whose big checks helped DeSantis win a second term as governor, including Citadel’s Ken Griffin and Interactive Brokers chairman Thomas Peterffy, have not appeared in FEC reports of donors to his super PAC.

Never Back Down reported making an additional $29.3 million in independent expenditures on DeSantis’ behalf since July, though that figure doesn’t include all of the super PAC’s spending, including money for canvassing efforts and other on-the-ground activities. All three of DeSantis’ super PACs are required to report their financial activity through the end of the year on Jan. 31.

--With assistance from Nancy Cook.

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